Spring structure



' Nov. 30, 1937.

L. H. HAMILTON 2,100,544 SPRING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 9, 1936 I20 v j I IQ. .j

INVENTOR. 'Z fM RENCE h. HAMILTON W 2 9L ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 30, 1937 SPRING. STRUCTURE" I I Lawrence H. Hamilton, Ni1es,Mich., assignor. to National Standard. Company, Niles, Mich. a,"

1 corporationof'lvlichigan Application November 9, 1936,.1 Serial: in 169,841.?

I 4olaiiiisj, (01.5 267 This invention relates to springs, and i s'illus- U trated as embodied in a novel bed springor'the like intended to support an inner-spring or:

other form of yielding mattress. Y 3

An object of the invention is to provide a spring support such as a bed spring having a large part of its upper surface arrangedyieldingly to support loads, while at the same time the major part ofthe spring structure consists of individually yieldable vertically-arranged relatively strong coil springs arranged in the usual rows or other pat-- tern;

To-this end; between the rows of the vertical springs I arrange (substantially in the plane of the upper ends ofthe" vertical springs) length} wise-yieldable parallel wide bands or supports, arranged in one direction of the structurawhile in the other direction (i. e. at rightangles to the yieldable supports) I arrange tensioned horizontal coil springswhich engage and support the wide parallel bands between the rows of vertical springs. Preferably these horizontal springs encircle and attach together the top coils of adjacent ones of the vertical springs. H

I prefer to use; for the parallel wide supports, braids of spring steel wire constructed as described below to form in efiect a great number of small fiat springsyieldable in the planeof the supports. I also consider it desirable atleast partially to close the spaces within the upper coils of the vertical. springs by continuing those coils in a fiat or plane spiral toward the axes oftheir respective springs.

The above and other. objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of one corner of a bed spring embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a partial vertical section therethrough;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view, on an enlarged scale, of one end of one of the flat supports, with a slightly different means for attaching it to the frame than is shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section through the support on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of part of the attaching clip of Figure 3; and

50 Figure 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the attaching clip is formed.

The novel bed spring shown in Figures 1 and 2 includes the usual series of vertically-arranged coil springs Ill, arranged in rows with each row supported by a suitable transverse stamping or other support l2 carried by the Iower-f-ramepfthe spring which, in Figure 1, is directlybelow' an upper frame I4 (which maybe'made'iof steel stampings riveted together), and 'vvhich upper frame surrounds; the vertical springs I0 substantiall'yin the plane of their upper ends.

' As appearsin Figure 1 ,1I-prefer'to'close (at least partiallyy'the space within-the-juppercoil of each; of thevertical springs I llf' by contir'iuing' the upper coil toward'the axis'bf -thespring as-a flat spiral in the planeofth'e-top coil. g

The spacebetween'the rows-of verticalsprings It at their upper ends, is occupiedby' spring wire bands or parallel -'flat"wide supports" H5 tensioned between the-opposite ends'oftheupper frame I4,

substantially in-the plane of, the upper coils of the vertical springs l0. ,Thesesprin'g-bands are preferably somewhatmore yiel'dingtthan-the vertical springs l0; 1 H

" I prefer to use for these parallel supports wide flat sprin'gksteelf tapes con'sisti'ng" of braids of steelwire, expandedwidthwise to spread thewires apart to give airelatively open mesh and give the support a very 'considerablewidtli. .The ends are providedcwith' clips l8 haying portionsfhooking into slots in thelframe l4andother'portionsfembracing and gripping the ends of the braidsfl The'clips l8. in Figurelcornpactand bind to gether the wees: at the ends of the braids, so that they arenot'as wide asthe body ofthebraid.

However, I may alternatively use clips Ii] 8 of the form shown inl igures 3,. 4,,and 5, bent up from the; blank l 20shown inFigur-e 6,,and.,which1are substantially the same as the elips ,l 8- except that they grip the entire width of the expanded braid l6. Y

Each of the braids l6 preferably consists of a series of spring steel wires, each extending for the full length of the braid, and each of which extends alternately over and under the other wires diagonally across the braid. The braid, formed with an open mesh or expanded widthwise to form such 'a mesh, is heavily compressed so that the return bends of the wires along the opposite edges of the braid are compressed beyond the elastic limit of the steel, to set the'wire in a series of interbraided flat spring loops each of' which yields in the plane of the braid, so that the braid is elastic lengthwise like a rubber band. Elongation of the braid under load of course temporarily contracts the braid widthwise, but

not sufficiently to interfere with its cooperative' load-supporting function.

Alternatively the expanded or open-mesh braid appended claims.

them yieldingly under load, and to transmit part' of the load from the supports Hi to the, vertical,

springs I0.

While one illustrative embodiment has been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention to that particular embodiment, or otherwise than, by the terms of the The present application is a continuation in part of my application No. 67,833,

field March 9, 1936. I claim p V r g 1. A spring structure comprising a plurality of rows of vertically-arranged coil springs and upper and lower frames surrounding said springs and the lower of which is provided with means supporting the lower ends of said springs, lengthwise-yieldable parallel Wide supports each con' nected at its ends to the upper'frame and arranged between each two rows of springs in one direction of said structure substantially in the plane of the upper ends of said springs, and each of which comprises a flat braid made up of spring steel wires each extendingthe full length of the braid and which wires are carried alternately over and under each other diagonally of the braid and which are spread apart to form a relatively wide mesh: and which bend back across the braid at the edges thereof and are permanently set beyond the elastic limit of the steel at said edges to form in effect a large number of small springs yieldable in the plane of the braid,

and horizontally-arranged tensioned coil springs arranged at right'angles to said supports between said vertically-arranged springs and which encircle andsecure together the top coils of adjacent pairs of vertically-arrangedsprings and which engage and support said parallel wide supports between said rows ofvertically-arranged springs. l v I 2; A spring structure comprising a plurality of rows of vertically-arranged coil springs and upper and lower frames surrounding said springs and the lower of which is provided with means supporting the lower ends of said springs,-lengthwhich engage and support said parallel wide supports between said rows of vertically-arranged springs. I

3. A spring structure comprising a plurality ,of rows of vertically-arranged coil springs and upper and lower frames surrounding said springs and the lower of which is provided with means supporting the lower ends of said springs, lengthwise-yieldable parallel wide supports each connected at its ends to the upper frame and arranged between each two rows of springs in one direction of said: structure substantially the plane of the upper ends of said springs, and each of which comprises a flat; braid made up of spring steel wires each extending the full length of the braid and which wires are carried alternately over and under each other diagonally of the braid andwhich are spread apart to' form a relatively wide mesh and which bend back across the braidat the edges thereof and-are permanently set beyond the elastic limit of the steel at said edges to form in effect a large number of small springs yieldable in the plane of the braid, and horizontally-arrangedtensioned coil springs arranged at right angles to said supports between direction of said structure substantially n the plane'ofth upper ends-oft said springs, and nori'z'ontally-arranged tensioned' coil springs arranged at right angles to said supports between said vertically-arranged springs and which en'- gage andsupport said parallel wide supports between said rows of vertically-arranged springs.

HAMILTON. 

